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Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) is an American multinational film and television production and distribution company. Fifth Season has financed, produced and distributed TV series and films such as Severance, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and The Lost Daughter. Fifth Season is headquartered in West Los Angeles, California, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Miami, Stockholm, Hong Kong, and Colombia.

The company was originally formed by Endeavor Group Holdings. In January 2022, an 80% majority stake was sold to CJ ENM, part of the South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. In December 2023, CJ ENM sold 25% of its ownership stake to Japanese studio Toho.

History

Endeavor Content

Endeavor Content was formed in October 2017 from the Endeavor Group's film financing and scripted TV sales units, WME's advisory group for film financiers and content producers, and international sales company Bloom, which continued to operate autonomously until 2018, when it was fully integrated into Endeavor Content.

Sale to CJ ENM and rebranding to Fifth Season

In 2021, Endeavor announced its intent to divest Endeavor Content, due to a new franchising deal with the Writers Guild of America that prohibits talent agencies from holding more than a 20% stake in a production company. Implemented as part of a new code of conduct also targeting movie packaging agreements, the WGA had deemed studio ownership by a talent agency to be a conflict of interest.

In November 2021, Endeavor announced an agreement to sell an 80% controlling stake in Endeavor Content's scripted content business to CJ ENM for US$775 million, marking the South Korean conglomerate's largest purchase to-date. Endeavor would keep the company's non-scripted production assets, and Graham Taylor and Chris Rice would remain co-CEOs of the company. The acquisition closed in January 2022.

In September 2022, CJ ENM renamed the studio to Fifth Season, introducing a new mosaic-themed logo. The name is derived from a term in Asian medicine referring to the harvest season.

In December 2023, Japanese studio Toho announced it would acquire a 25% stake in Fifth Season through its U.S. subsidiary Toho International for $225 million. The deal valued the company at $900 million. Taylor and Rice stated that this deal would allow the company to continue expanding its offerings and create opportunities to work with Toho and CJ ENM on both Japanese and global content.

Productions

Films

Television series

Distribution

Fifth Season globally distributes series including Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Normal People and The Night Manager.

References

1. ^ Maas, Jennifer (September 7, 2022). "Endeavor Content Rebrands as Fifth Season". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
2. "Fifth Season (Media and Information Services) Overview". PitchBook. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
3. Cornfield, Greg (March 24, 2023). "Hollywood Production Company Fifth Season Signs Big Office Lease in West LA". Commercial Observer.
4. Sun, Rebecca (October 16, 2017). "WME and IMG Finance and Sales Groups Combine to Form Endeavor Content". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
5. Hazelton, John (October 10, 2018). "Bloom to be fully integrated into Endeavor Content". Screen Daily.
6. Littleton, Christina (2021-02-05). "WME Reaches Deal With WGA on Packaging and Endeavor Content Divestment". Variety. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
7. Hayes, Dade (2021-11-19). "Endeavor Clinches $775M Deal With CJ For 80% Stake In Scripted Content Unit". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
8. Hayes, Dade (2022-01-19). "Endeavor's $785M Sale Of Content Unit To Korea's CJ ENM Officially Closes". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
9. Frater, Patrick (January 19, 2022). "Korea's CJ ENM Completes Acquisition of Endeavor Content". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
10. Welk, Brian (September 7, 2022). "Endeavor Content Rebrands as Fifth Season". TheWrap. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
11. Shackleton, Liz (10 December 2023). "Japan's Toho Acquires 25% Stake In Fifth Season; Korea's CJ ENM Remains Majority Shareholder". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
12. Fleming, Mike (May 17, 2018). "'In The Heights': Warner Bros Closing $50M Deal For Movie Rights After Hot Auction". Deadline.
13. Kay, Jeremy (March 6, 2022). "'The Lost Daughter' wins best film, director, screenplay at 2022 Spirit Awards". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
14. "Maggie Gyllenhaal's Directorial Debut 'The Lost Daughter' Heads To Netflix". Netflix – Business News. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
15. Boxberger, Darryl (June 14, 2022). "Apple hosts premiere of 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' at Tribeca Festival". AppleInsider. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
16. D'Alessandro, Anthony (25 January 2024). "Dennis Quaid & Jay Hernandez SXSW-Winning Golf Drama 'The Long Game' Sets Theatrical Release With Mucho Mas Media". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
17. Pond, Steve (August 9, 2022). "How the Beatles Invaded the Emmys in 2022". TheWrap. Retrieved December 6, 2023.

External links

• Official website

• Companies based in Beverly Hills, California
• CJ ENM Entertainment Division
• Toho
• CJ Group subsidiaries
• Endeavor (company)
• American companies established in 2017
• American subsidiaries of foreign companies